Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

Deluxe Corned Beef Hash

March 16, 2015 by Kristina Manning

This Corned Beef Hash recipe is the perfect breakfast for the day after St. Patrick’s Day with all your leftover corned beef (if there is any!).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large carrot, coarsely shredded
2 pounds cooked corned beef, cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Melt butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion just until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes; stir in the potatoes and carrot, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cubed corned beef, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture cook until hash is crisp and browned, stirring often, 10 to 15 more minutes.

Recipe and photo from: www.AllRecipes.com

Announcing Our “Bold Reds” Wine Sale

March 13, 2015 by International Wine of the Month Club

Tired of winter yet? How about some big, bold, red wines to help shake off the cold?!

We at The International Wine of the Month Club are very excited to announce a sale on 4 powerful, world-class red wines which blew us away at our recent Tasting Panels. We’re making each of these highly-rated red wines available at unbeatable values – up to 45% off retail price, plus extra discounts when you order 6 total bottles or more!

And, you don’t have to be a wine club member to take advantage of this Special Offer, so feel free to let all your wine-loving friends know, too!

High ratings, gold medals, super-limited production – and a huge thumbs up from our 30+ person tasting panel – these wines have it all. Check them out at www.winemonthclub.com/sale.

More Winter Warmers: Wines for a Cold Winter’s Night

March 6, 2015 by Don Lahey

What a winter this has been! Here it is March and spring has not yet sprung in my neck of the woods or in many other places around the country either, so rather than turn my sights to springtime wines, I am still looking for complex, robust reds to ward off what appears to be a terminal case of winter. Here are a few beauties that I’ve come across recently that should get us through winter’s last stand:

Alta Vintner’s Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – What a find this wine is. Grown on the heights of Atlas Peak, this reserve Cabernet positively sings from the glass. Balanced, complex and thoroughly palate pleasing, this wine makes me forget about the weather outside. Better still, it tastes great now, with or without aeration.

Benovia Sonoma County Zinfandel 2011 – There’s no wimp in this Zinfandel. With 15.8% alcohol and a boatload of flavor to bolster its body, Benovia’s Zin is sure to ward off what’s left of winter. Give it some aeration and let it get your blood pumping and your mouth watering.

Château St. André Corbin St. Georges-St. Emilion 2012 – Although not as bold as some of the other winter warmers, this young Bordeaux is too delicious to pass up. It offers terrific aromatics, a wealth of long smooth flavors, and ample amounts of silky tannins to chase away the winter blues. This young Bordeaux offers the perfect claret to drink now, though it should provide great drinking pleasure for a decade or more.

La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Rioja Reserva 2005 – La Rioja Alta is a traditional bodega that ages its reserve wines and releases them only as they approach maturity. This 2005 Reserva is the bodega’s current release, and what a beauty it is. It’s a traditional, full-bodied Rioja Reserva that offers plenty of savory cherry, plum, chocolate and espresso flavors to make weary humans forget the weather stained cares of life for a while.

Nus del Terrer Tarragona D.O. 2010 – An artful blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from Spain’s sunny Mediterranean Coast, the 2010 Nus del Terrer rivals in quality the greatest reserve bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It’s bold, beautiful and jam-packed with flavor. It brings sun and warmth in every glass, and it’s sure to put a smile on your face.

Drink up and enjoy!
Don

Don’s February Collectors Series Top Pick

February 24, 2015 by Don Lahey

February’s Collector Series Top Pick gives me as many palpitations as February’s Premier Series Top Pick. How do I choose just one wine and not feel like I deserve to be tried for treason? I could honestly claim that, “I was just following orders,” but that would carry no vindication. Plainly stated, Jacques Girardin is one of Burgundy’s top winemakers, and his 2012 Terrasses de Bievaux Santenay is a delicious white Burgundy and another personal favorite. Losada’s Altos de Losada’s Bierzo Mencia ranks as the finest Mencia I have tasted in a long time and will likely evolve into one of the region’s true classics. Nevertheless, neither wine will be able to lay claim to this month’s Top Pick. Why? I have always been enamored of the wines of Bandol, and for many years, I have searched for a Bandol that reflects the greatness of the Mourvèdre varietal, offers all the charm of Provence, and is able to be enjoyed relatively young. Enter Domaine Bunan’s 2011 Moulin des Costes Bandol, a wine that embodies the strength and vigor of Mourvèdre while capturing all the warmth and vitality of Provence. The 2011 Domaine Bunan Moulin des Costes is a wine that enlivens the senses and wards off the chill of a cold winter’s night. For these reasons it gets my vote as this month’s Top Pick. Try this rare, unique Bandol, and enjoy!

Don

French Onion Soup

February 23, 2015 by Kristina Manning

This version of the classic is gorgeously cheesy, not gunky. Slow cooking gives the broth depth of flavor and a silky texture. Due to the silky texture and acidity, try pairing it with a dry white wine, like Château de Fontenille Entre-Deux-Mers 2013 from this month’s Premier Series.

Ingredients:

2 lb medium onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (32 fl oz)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices of baguette
1 (1/2-lb) piece Gruyère, Comte, or Emmental
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
*Special equipment: 6 (8- to 10-oz) flameproof soup crocks or ramekins; a cheese plane*

Directions:

Cook onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

While soup simmers, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Arrange bread in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry, about 15 minutes.

Remove croûtes from oven and preheat broiler. Put crocks in a shallow baking pan.

Discard bay leaves and thyme from soup and divide soup among crocks, then float a croûte in each. Slice enough Gruyère (about 6 ounces total) with cheese plane to cover tops of crocks, allowing ends of cheese to hang over rims of crocks, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe and photo from: www.Epicurious.com

Don’s February Premier Series Top Pick

February 23, 2015 by Don Lahey

This February is one of the months where choosing one single Top Pick becomes akin to “Sophie’s Choice.” How can I pass up Bodegas Amezola de la Mora’s exceptional, full-bodied 2010 Rioja or Château de Fontenille’s bright, delightfully quaffable 2013 Entre-Deux- Mers Blanc? And, then there is Gilles Noblet’s 2013 Macon- Fuissé, a personal favorite that never fails to deliver plenty of palate-pleasing Chardonnay flavors, complete with purity of fruit and complex mineral tones without a preponderance of oak. It is hard to slight a new friend, let alone an old friend, but no malice is intended. Despite the merits of each of these wines, I have to throw my weight to the 2012 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon as this month’s Top Pick. Rustenberg has turned in a truly first-rate performance and a real crowd pleaser in their 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. What is even more impressive is that this is the first release in the United States of Rustenberg’s Stellenbosch Cabernet. What were they waiting for? Moreover, California is hard pressed to come up with a Cabernet Sauvignon this good for under $25.00 or $30.00 a bottle. Enjoy!

Salud!
Don

Winter Warmers: Wines for a Cold Winter’s Night

February 20, 2015 by Don Lahey

In most parts of the country, February is the snowiest and often coldest month of the year (or at least it appears that way to most of us who live outside the Sun Belt). To ward of the chill of a cold winter’s night, a hearty, mouth-filling red wine can work wonders. To make the best of the season and the weather outside, consider these Winter Warmers, red wines that are sure to warm the blood as well as please the palate.

Amarone – A special, fleshy, utterly decadent red wine from Italy’s Veneto, Amarone packs a punch (16%-plus alcohol) and delivers layers of luscious flavors sure to warm the bones and everything else, even without a roaring fire. Bertani, Tommasi and Tenuta Sant Antonio are all trusted names in Amarone and worth seeking out

Barolo – Barolo has been dubbed “The King of wines, and the wine of Kings,” and rightly so. It is arguably Italy’s greatest red wine and just the elixir one needs to make it through a cold winter’s night. Luigi Pira, Paolo Conterno, Querciola, Revello, Seghesio, and Silvio Grasso all make top notch Barolo.

Gigondas – As the Rhône Valley’s heartiest red wine, stouter even than many Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas was once used as bonesetter, AKA wine to beef up the finest red Burgundy wines in cool years because of its strength, vigor, and substantial alcoholic content. Domaine Raspail-Ay and La Vau are two excellent examples of powerful, palate-pleasing Gigondas.

Ribera del Duero – Spain’s grandest, fullest-bodied Tempranillo based wines emanate from the hills along the Duero River. Pesquera, Condado de Haza and Dehesa la Granja (from nearby Zamora), Emilio Moro, and Montecastro are just a few of the top producers who fashion hearty reds from Ribera del Duero, a wine that provides both comfort and warmth during the long winter months.

Syrah/Shiraz – Not all Syrah- or Shiraz-based wines make great winter warmers, but the biggest and best surely do. Chapel Hill, d’Arenberg, Henschke and Torbreck from South Australia; Bellingham’s Bernard Series from South Africa; and the best California Syrahs from Joseph Phelps, Qupé , Runquist and others will more than fill the bill as winter warmers.

Enjoy and stay warm,
Don

photo credit: gfpeck via photopin cc

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